


When the Fire Goes Out

by AMaskOnTwoFaces



Series: Those Lonely Souls [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Death magic stuff, Hand wavy descriptions of magic, Harry Needs a Hug, Harry Potter is apathetic towards human life, Harry is slightly less apathetic towards human life than he needs to be for his sanity, Loki wasn't the bad guy in The Avengers, Master of Death, Mind Control, Protective Loki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-03
Updated: 2017-08-09
Packaged: 2018-11-22 18:54:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11386317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AMaskOnTwoFaces/pseuds/AMaskOnTwoFaces
Summary: And though the sun may have set and the stars hidden, the city never grows dark enough to truly despair.





	1. The Fire's End

The day was old, and while the costumed crusaders had emerged from the New York battle victorious, they knew that the true fight was far from over.  They were tired and weary though, and had concurred to a night of rest before starting a search anew.

The heroes could be found strewn across the roof of Stark’s tower.  They sat watching the fire in the sky as it touched the horizon, hoping to forget the fires on the streets from just hours before.  Newly minted as the Avengers, they could barely be called a team.  Few of them had known another for more than a day, and their lack of cohesion reflected such.  They were spirited, though, and had made up for their unsteady teamwork with their stubbornness and dedication.

The group was quiet; subdued, but not silent.  It was doubtful that Stark or Thor were truly capable of holding a silence, but they were conscious enough to not be loud or brash when the time called for it.  Now was one such time, and the air lay thick upon the roof with the weight of their missing ally.

There were no deaths nor major injuries within the heroes, and while some of their enemies had truly been allies whose minds were not their own, most were recovered with nothing more than minor scrapes and headaches.  However, their ally, the wizard, had vanished while the battle transpired. 

He had appeared suddenly in their time of need; providing information and a unique ability to affect the Mad Titan’s control on ill-gotten servants.  He had done his job in the end; removing the minds of their Midgard-bound enemies from the hive-like network that had been forcing them together, but he was no longer present by the battle’s conclusion.  Reveling in their victory had not felt right with a shield-brother lost to the wind.

The recordings taken from within the flying base had been reviewed soon after the fighting had ceased.  They saw as the wizard delved into the mind of a servant still connected to the Mad Titan’s network.  Saw as a blue light surround the wizard, almost emulating from within him.  The pale blue of the Titan’s power—pale blue as Loki will not forget for centuries—took the wizard from within the flying base in a quick flash.

There were so many questions left behind and no answers to be got.  Had the wizard been in league with the Mad Titan?  Was he captured?  Was he still alive?  Was his mind still his own?

And perhaps, most confoundingly, it was noted that it was after his disappearance— _after_ —when the Mad Titan’s network was severed.  As such it couldn’t even be said with certainty if it was in fact their ally who had defeated the network.  But if not the wizard, then whom? 

Sitting in the sunset, surrounded by almost-teammates, Loki felt hollow. 

Here was yet another person that he interacted with, _cared_ for, whose life had been destroyed by Loki.

Perhaps the only emotion he could identify at this point was his now ever-present fear.  Even without their missing wizard to worry over, the Mad Titan was still out there.  The battle may be won, but the war was far from over and the next move uncertain.

It was surprisingly Thor who was the first to note the additional presence upon the rooftop.

He tensed at Loki’s side.  The small movement causing a wave of battle preparedness to ripple through the group, for while exhausted, they were still strung tight from the day’s events and ready as ever to defend themselves.

Thor stood with a ceremonial air—an interesting fact to note—and addressed the shadowed wall.  Loki and the other heroes all stood as well, preparing to better receive a threat.

“What brings you to us, Child of Death?”  Thor inquired.

Ah, that explained much.  Loki could now see the humanoid outline within the shadow, but did not let himself relax.  The skill of walking through shadows was unique to only the offspring of Death, but being sought out by such beings was most always cause for alarm.

The shadow was still for a moment, perhaps hesitating, not truly meaning to have been noticed.  It would not be the first time such an occurrence happened around Loki.  His position as the father of one of Death’s Lieutenants meant its children would oft spy on him in innocent curiosity.

Loki waited, hoping that the this was one such occurrence and the shadow outline would soon leave and take the child with it, but instead the shape grew darker, coalescing into a solid form.  The shadows parted, revealing, with great surprise, their lost ally.  A wary excitement flew through the collected heroes.  Was he here as returned ally, or as a new enemy?  The possibility was there for either, for regardless of the wizard’s desire, he could now be Thanos’ new servant, here to finish what Loki did not.

The wizard—Harry—moved forward.  His head was bowed, eyes even further downcast, and he stopped not far from the wall, visibly curling in on himself as if it pained him to attempt coming any closer.

Loki took a step towards him, but aborted the move when he got any even better look at the child.  Traces of blood had dried around his mouth, drips of it stained into his shirt.  His pallor was death-like, which reminded him, “Are you truly a Child of Death?  Were you not born a wizard—a human?”

It was something—anything to talk about.  He was trying to provoke a reaction, to get information on what occurred, to see whose side Harry stands with now.

Harry’s eyes flicked up briefly—thankfully still green, though they seemed muted somehow—and the barest ghost of a smirk flitted across his lips, “Guess you can say I was adopted.”

If his eyes were still green, then the Mad Titan must have little, if any control over him.  Was he voluntarily on the Titan’s side?  Bribed or threatened to be there?  Or was he still against the Titan?  Did he manage to get away?  Was his disappearance even connected to the Mad Titan at all?

“Adopted?” Loki returned more jovially, hiding his inner analysis.  He let his eyes crinkle and a playful smile touch his lips, trying to get the child to open up to him some more.

Harry looked up more steadily this time, “I was an experiment.  Death was attempting to see if they could create a child who was still alive.”

“Did they succeed?”  He truly wanted to know the answer.

“Yes,” was replied as Harry’s mouth formed a self-deprecating smile.  He turned his head, looking out across the roof.  He swallowed, gaze flicking back to Loki then down, “I killed him,” he muttered.

There was rushing in Loki’s ears.  There was no way…

“Who?” his voice shook.

“Thanos,” Harry whispered back.

There were gasps from behind him, but Loki himself couldn’t breathe.  He could _feel_ the truth in the statement.  He was so full of relief and giddy joy that he couldn’t get his body to accept it, instead standing frozen in shock.  It was Harry, though, looking as if he might break; looking so _small_ , like a gust might blow him right off the tower, that broke through Loki’s reverie.  He strode up, pulled Harry’s head into his chest and held him there.  He offered a grounding point for the child.  He offered a return of the comfort Harry had given him this morning, a lifetime ago, before the battle.

Behind him, Loki heard his team moving about.  He heard the door opening and Tony and Steve murmuring as the team shuffled back into the tower.  Enough answers were had now to be able to rejoice, to know of their safety, of their battle’s end.  They would eventually need more information for true clarity, but for now, they let Loki support Harry here on the top of this tower.  There was no rush.

They gave their privacy and support, and let the two exist here, together, on the top of the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have more I want from this, there will be another chapter or two.
> 
> …And I ended up planning four parts to this series when I started figuring out this sequel. There will be two more fics after this one; the next will pick up almost immediately following this story and the last installment will be more distant in this timeline’s future. The last one I’ve been thinking about since about halfway through the It Might Have Been, and I was actually setting up that first fic to be able to include a little scene for this idea in the epilogue, but what should have been the epilogue of It Might Have Been has now gotten blown out of proportion into three of its own fics.
> 
> Why did I not just extend It Might Have Been into one longer fic instead of four separate ones? Well, I was using a pretty rigid format for that first fic. It was beneficial for helping me to start writing, but now that I’ve gotten comfortable, splitting the rest of the series up gives me some more freedom to experiment with different styles, characters, and POVs without having to do a lot of worldbuilding between them. Also beginnings and endings are the most troublesome for me to write, so the more fics, the more I have to practice these.
> 
> In other news, I was looking as the height difference between Loki and Harry (a full foot!), and you know how google searches now have little drop downs for quick answers to questions similar to what you searched for? Well, I clicked the one asking ‘Who are Loki’s parents?’, and the answer was Frigga. Just Frigga. I love that answer, for while Loki was born a Jotun, he wasn’t raised by and doesn’t know his birth parents, and Odin, with all his deceptions and favoritism, is no longer seen as fatherly by Loki, leaving just Frigga as the sole being Loki will claim as a parent.
> 
> As always, feel free to leave comments and Kudos!


	2. The Dark that Follows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Aw! Look at the cute little lovebirds!” he cooed.
> 
> Harry snorted, but Loki turned his head to glare at Tony, “That is a rather disturbing thought,” he drawled.

Hours later found Harry and Loki curled together on a couch just two floors below.

They had been murmuring to each other, discussing the Avengers, magic, and similar topics that held no heavy emotions.  The conversation lulled now; Loki sensing that there was something of importance Harry wished to discuss but not wanting to push before the child was ready.  They sat instead in companionable silence, enjoying the pure simplicity of close proximity to a trusted being.  They listened to each other’s breaths and heartbeats, felt the warm blood rushing through their veins, and reveled in the comfort provided of just _existing_ next to someone they cared for.

It was as such that Tony wandered into the room.  As the owner of the tower walking into a public space in his own building, Loki did not mind his presence.  It was his words, however, that were an annoyance.

“Aw! Look at the cute little lovebirds!” he cooed.

Harry snorted, but Loki turned his head to glare at Tony, “That is a rather disturbing thought,” he drawled.

“Oh, come on!” Tony waggled his eyebrows, “Don’t tell me you haven’t thought of it.  You two look good together.”

“You mean eerily similar?” Harry piped in, “To the point it’d be like banging a family member?”

“I was thinking more of the age difference,” Loki shuddered, “Harry is but a child to me.”

“Right.  Didn’t think of that.  You’re what, several thousand to Harry’s twenty?”

“32,” Harry corrected, “but I stopped aging when I was turned immortal at seventeen,”

“Alright,” the mortal agreed, surprisingly at ease with such information, “so not a romantic relation. More of mentor/ mentee thing?  Or even like a parental position?”

“Yeah,” Harry said, voice a little rough, “I mean,” he looked at Loki, “I’ve never had a father figure before.”

Loki smiled down at him, “It would be an honor, truly.”

There was a pregnant pause from Tony, “Yeah, I know I suggested it, but I still can’t see Loki as a dad.”

“Why Stark,” Loki grinned, “I am the father of three, mother of one, and have now adopted Harry as my own.”

“That’s what that was?” Tony pointed between them, “You just adopted him?  Simple as that?”  Then, “Wait, back up.  You’re a mom?!”

Loki grinned, “I was shape shifted at the time.”

Tony’s jaw had gone slack, but he quickly pulled himself back to functionality, saying, “You know what?  I need a drink.  Have fun kids,” and retreated from the room.  Blessed peace again.

Loki focused once more on Harry, glowing with joy at the new addition to his family.  He was happy to note a similar emotion reflected in the eyes of his new charge.  It brought a smile to his face.

The mood between them had altered, and whatever had been wearing down the child earlier was now out of his mind.  It would be inappropriate to bring it up now.  It mattered not, though, for whenever his charge needed to talk, he would be there.  He would be a better father that Odin ever was to him.  He would finally _be_ a father.  This was an opportunity to be a parent in actions, not only in title.

His musings were interrupted by JARVIS, the servant in the walls, “Mr. Potter, Loki, I have been asked to inform you that Agent Romanoff has relayed the news of Mr. Potter’s return to Director Fury.  He is requesting that Mr. Potter visit him at his earliest convenience for a full debriefing of the events that have transpired since Mr. Potter’s disappearance this morning.  Director Fury has indicated that he would prefer to meet now if the current hour is agreeable, but otherwise would like to see Mr. Potter tomorrow morning.”

Harry hummed, turning to the windows where the lateness of the hour was signified by a soft glow of light pollution hanging over the city.  Making up his mind, he shrugged, “Sure, now works.  But can I bring Loki with me?” he glanced over, questioning Loki’s desire to attend.  Loki nodded his assent.  If his charge wished for his support, he would be more than willing to provide such.

JARVIS hesitated, likely inquiring with the director himself, “Director Fury is agreeable with this provision.  Do you require transportation?”

“Thanks, but no, we magic users are capable of moving ourselves,” Harry waved the servant off.

“Of course, Mr. Potter.  I shall inform Director Fury to await your arrival.”

They stood, reluctant to leave their couch, but not wishing to annoy the director.  The man was being strangely polite, so far be it from them to not return the same sentiment.

Harry, though, with sudden excitement, grinned up at Loki, “Hey, do you want to try shadow walking?”

Like a shark, Loki grinned back.  Oh, did he _ever_.

*             *             *

To the mortals of New York, it was early morning when the pair returned to Stark’s Tower.

The look on the director’s face when they molded out of the shadows in front of him was priceless, the reactions of the surrounding agents even more memorable.  Loki snorted softly at the memory of one mortal fainting to the ground; clearly not a field agent.

Scuttling around a random kitchen, Harry was prepping to make an early breakfast for the both of them.  He was looking more confident in himself, a weight having fallen from his shoulders now that others knew his story. 

He stilled suddenly, though, a deep breath filling his body.  Loki looked up in concern at the cessation of movement.

“Loki?” Harry called after a moment, voice shaking with his back still facing his new parent.

Loki made an inquisitive noise, too worried over Harry’s distraught tension to form a true response.

“I’ve never Called a person’s soul before.”

It was Loki’s turn to still.  This was the topic Harry had wanted to bring up earlier on the couch.  This was what disturbed the mind of his new charge, what caused him fear and distress time and again. 

This was a test in confidence from Harry to Loki; his first trial as a true parent.

There had been no sign previously of Harry disliking his abilities as a Child of Death, and while his retelling of his altercation with the Mad Titan had been distant, Loki had believed Harry was only giving his report in a delivery unbiased by his emotions.

It seems Loki had been correct, but to a degree he had not anticipated.  Now with the admission in the air, he could see that Calling souls _terrified_ Harry, to the point where his knuckles were white from his grip on the counter, unwilling to show his face to Loki.

“I truly have no equal to compare that skill to,” Loki started slowly, “to that power and responsibility that sets you so far above most beings,” Harry’s hands gripped tighter, “I have some experience, though, especially with mortals, where I am afraid to use many of my skills.  Where I am so conscious of how fragile the beings I am surrounded with are that even touching them discomforts me,” Loki took a breath, “I would say, like any muscle, practice using it, flexing and stretching, until you are certain it will always respond exactly as you wish.  So you can be safe in the knowledge that you will never kill by accident.”

“That’s a bit counter-intuitive, isn’t it?” Harry spat, the pure vitriol startling Loki “Kill people so I don’t kill people?” he whirled around, hands gripped tight by his sides, “What a brilliant idea!”

Loki flinched.  Alright, that was a misjudgment.  He met Harry’s eyes, sincerely stating, “My apologies,” before looking away in shame.  He took a breath to refocus himself, suddenly nervous for disappointing his new charge.  Perhaps a different approach; “How much did Death or your fellow Children explain about your skills?  I assume they told you some basics in the least,” he asked, almost unsure of his words this time.

“I…” Harry hesitated, fire burning out in the face of Loki’s true regret for overstepping moral lines, “They did explain, but we’re—we’re so different with me having been a living being first… it’s hard to understand them.  Death chooses their lieutenants from living beings because of that—so the ones actually interacting with souls can communicate with and understand them.  It’s just, Death, their reasoning, their mindsets and morals and how they connect leaps of logic is so different,” he shakes his head, his pinched expression in stark contrast to the unruly hair flopping around above it, “Their children follow the same order of thinking and—and it always just makes me feel more _alone_ whenever I try to talk to them,”

The picture the boy made was so pitiful, Loki couldn’t resist giving him some reassurance.  He stood, approaching slowly for if contact wasn’t desired, and enfolded Harry in his arms once more.  The child clutched fistfuls of fabric at Loki’s side, burrowing his face into the tunic.

“I’ve—I’ve been so afraid of saying someone’s name and Calling them instead,” he sobbed into Loki shoulder.  The dam had burst now he was being supported, voice wet and rough with it, “I don’t even think people’s names so they don’t slip out, but the closer I get to anyone, the harder it is to stick to meaningless descriptions of them,” he choked, “I’ve already thought your name a couple of times and it’s only been a day!”

“Shhh,” Loki soothed, mind whirling through plans and possibilities as he carded a hand through Harry’s hair.  Finally, he hummed, settling on a probable solution—or at least a starting point—for Harry’s intensive fear, “Perhaps we could visit my daughter, Hel,” he suggested softly, “She might have some observations on the skills of Children of Death.  At the very least, she could act as a translator between you, so you may get the knowledge you require.  She has had much longer to adjust to Death and their Children, and may provide some insight to understanding them.  We’ll figure this out.  I don’t want you to be afraid,” And how truly that seemed to resonate within himself as well.

Harry nodded against his chest, too emotional to attempt words.  Loki pulled him closer in response.  The did not need to travel now.  No, rest and substance first.  A clearing of the head and a fresh state of mind before they attempt a visit.

For now, Loki watched the night city glow turn into a predawn light through a far window.  He continued rocking Harry in the kitchen, feeling more comfortable in his parental role now, more prepared with a plan in place to start fixing things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I did promise hugs in this story, but there seems to be a recurring theme to how I’m ending these chapters so far. Theoretically, there’s only one more chapter to this story, but we’ll see what actually happens.
> 
> As always, feel free to leave Kudos and comments!


	3. Burning All the Brighter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Upon settling into a Spartan sitting room, decorated with greys alone, the true subject of their visit was broached.
> 
> “Do you know much about Calling souls?” Harry asked.

Helheim was dark and dreary.  Foggy, but in a way reminiscent of the fuzzy, floaty feeling an overexerted mind and body got once it finally received the rest it deserved.  It was comfortable, peaceful.  Loki could just laze along for the rest of eternity, but that was exactly the danger Helheim had on all its living visitors.  It was a soft blanket on the soul; a cover over all the worries and fears Loki had ever had.  It was the most at ease Loki has ever felt, and it always proved draining to leave.

The pair approached the dwelling of Loki’s daughter, having entered this realm not far from her home.  The could see little but the door, as the fog and dim light from somewhere (Loki has never discovered where) obscured much of their sight.  There was only a patch of a grey stone wall, a pair of solid wood doors fitted upon it, and torches of green flame to either side.

“She has your magic,” Harry said, noting the similarity in the flame’s color to Loki’s own magic.

“Of course,” Loki replied, looking down upon his charge.  He could not tell if Helheim’s atmosphere was affecting the child, or if he was only fighting nerves within his mind.  Regardless, Loki rapped upon the door instead of focusing on Harry’s discomfort, as neither issue would be solved by waiting further.

Hel answered immediately, having no hesitation to throw her arms around her father.  Loki grasped her hard in return.  He loved his daughter very much.  As one of the few children he could freely see and interact with, Loki wished he could visit more, but the longer he stayed in Helheim, the more difficult it is to leave, and his daughter reminds him time and again that it is not yet his time to leave the lands of the living for good.

With regret, Loki broke the embrace with his daughter.  He made introductions between his children and the trio made their way inside.  Both younglings showed enthusiasm for the additions to their family.  Harry carried excitement for having his first living sibling, and Hel was thankful that there was finally someone to keep Loki company where she could not.  Loki was aware that her worries were not unfounded.

Upon settling into a Spartan sitting room, decorated with greys alone, the true subject of their visit was broached.

“Do you know much about Calling souls?” Harry asked hesitantly.

Hel hummed in thought, “I believe I know enough for your needs,” she finally said, visibly sifting through her memories for relevant information, “Calling is a skill unique to Death and its Children.  It is not quite like Reaping, a skill given to Lieutenants like myself, which allows us to collect souls of beings already dead.  From what I’ve seen, Calling can pull a soul from a being still alive without actually causing any lethal damage to the being’s body.”

She paused, then elaborated, “I am unsure how Calling specifically affects the bodies of those that are Called, but though the bodies appear dead upon the departure of their souls, I’ve seen some older and more skilled Children return souls to bodies with little to no aftereffects from the overall process.  However, I believe that Calling is generally used as a method for permanently and prematurely moving souls from the living realms into the death realms.  And unless I’m mistaken, Called souls are sent directly to Death, unless the Child is particularly talented at Calling, in which case the Child can Call the soul to themselves.”

Harry looked skeptical, “So anyone I Call will stay dead unless I alone return them to their body?  Is there a time limit to how long I can wait?”

Hel hummed, “I have seen a Jötunn soul returned to his body close to a year later.  He required many extensive healing magics to fully revive him immediately following his soul’s return, but it was done.”

Loki stiffened at the mention of his true race.  Talk of Jötnar never failed to twist something inside him, but Hel continued as if she didn’t notice his discomfort, “But I do not know if Death or another Child could affect a Calling initiated by someone else.  It is not an occurrence I have ever witnessed.  However, I believe that regardless of your age, all Children respect the actions of their siblings and do not meddle in each other’s activities.  They do not have petty squabbles or undermine each other’s authority, so you should not have to worry over any of your Callings being circumvented, regardless of if the feat is possible or not.”

“Alright,” Harry repeated, sounding mildly hopeful, “What about how Calling works?  How—how do I make sure…” he takes a breath, “How do I make sure I don’t call someone whenever I say their name?” 

And that was truly the crux of the issue.

Hel gave a gentle smile, her eyes softening with her voice, “If it is anything like Reaping, I would imagine that Calling requires a build-up of Death Magic and the _intent_ to Call that soul.”

“So I can’t accidentally Call a soul?”

“No, there is no accidental usage of this skill.”

Harry deflated in relief, and Loki took the chance to draw his charge into his arms, muttering reassurances to his new child.

Hel blessed a smile upon the duo, and Loki squeezed Harry a little tighter in response.

*             *             *

Hel pulled Loki aside shortly before the duo departed back to Midgard.

“You will do well to continue caring for one another; you look the most lively I have seen you in centuries, Father,” she spoke.

Loki gave a small smile, “I will endeavor to keep a child in my custody now that I finally have the power to keep it so.”

Hel gave a grimace, “Indeed, I had feared Death would not take kindly to you asserting yourself as a parent to one of their Children,” Loki felt himself blanch, but Hel was quick to reassure him, “They see now that your position is necessary.  Do remember that Harry is an experiment on Death’s part,” she soothed, “It is now apparent that a living Child of Death, especially at this youthful age, requires guidance from another living being.  They appreciate your assistance in this situation.”

Hel grasped his shoulder, “This experiment cannot be reversed, so it is of utmost importance that Harry’s mind stay intact,” she gave a wry smile, “Not to put pressure upon your shoulders or something of the sort.”

Turning away, she addressed Harry, “If I there is ever anything you need assistance with again,” she spread her arms wide, “my home is always open to you, brother,”  A bit of desperation tinged her voice, “ _Please_ come visit me.”

Harry was quick to wrap her in a hug, “Of course, sis!  I’ll come bother you whenever I want,” he dropped his voice conspirely, “I’ll even drag our father around sometime.  Right, Loki?”

Loki melted when his children turned their glowing faces towards him.

Yes, perhaps he could do this.

No pressure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this, but I don't like it.
> 
> This chapter fought me every step of the way. I'm only really happy with the very beginnings of each of the two parts. If anyone has some constructive critique for any of the rough spots, I am more than happy to hear it, but I realized that this was not going to get any better under my own lonely power.
> 
> As always, feel free to leave comments and Kudos!


End file.
